Health Education Resources
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Mental Health Awareness Month is observed every May to promote mental wellness, reduce stigma, and provide resources for individuals and communities.
Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA) to highlight the importance of mental health and wellness in everyday life and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. It serves as a dedicated time for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness, educate the public, and advocate for better mental health care and support.
This year’s theme — More Good Days, Together — encourages us all to reflect on what a “good” day looks like, both for ourselves, and for our communities. Together, we can use that insight to connect people to the right support at the right time, and shape advocacy, education, and community engagement to make more good days possible for all.
As we continue in our Six Week Prayer Challenge, please consider adding the following to support of your mental health:
- Philippians 4:6-7 encourages believers not to be anxious but to present their requests to God through prayer and thanksgiving, promising that His peace will guard hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
- Isaiah 26:3 highlights that God keeps in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast and trust in Him.
- John 14:27 reminds us that God’s peace is a gift unlike the world’s, urging believers not to be troubled or afraid.
- 1 Peter 5:7 instructs casting all anxieties on God because He cares for us, reinforcing reliance on His care.
Source and Resources: Mental Health America
Journaling helps us process our experiences and recognize the good in everyday life that we often overlook. Beyond the emotional benefits, the physical act of writing is good for your brain and supports learning and memory. Journal prompts for more good days
Affirmations are statements you say or think to yourself that reinforce what matters to you and who you want to be. They remind you that you are strong and help you focus on your values and on what makes you feel calm and confident. Affirmations for more good days and why they work
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The Black Church has long stood as more than a place of worship—it has been a cornerstone of community, identity, and belonging. For many, the Black church wasn’t optional; it was where life happened. It was where we were raised, where we learned right from wrong, where we were corrected with love, and where we found a sense of belonging that extended far beyond Sunday mornings. It shaped our voices, our values, and our understanding of the world.
So when we talk about Autism Awareness Month, we cannot overlook the spaces that shaped us so deeply. Autism didn’t exist somewhere “out there,” separate from our lived experiences—it was present right there in the pews. It was in the child who didn’t quite engage the same way during service, the youth who struggled with social cues at church gatherings, or the adult who found comfort in routine and familiarity within sacred traditions.
For too long, those differences may have been misunderstood, dismissed, or simply unnamed. But awareness calls us to reflect and to recognize that neurodiversity has always been part of our community. The Black church, as a central gathering place, has a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to be part of that understanding.
Today, research tells us that autism is more common than many once believed—recent estimates suggest that about 1 in 36 children are identified on the autism spectrum. Studies also show that Black children are often diagnosed later than their peers, which can delay access to support and positive outcomes. This makes the role of trusted community spaces, like the church, even more important in recognizing and affirming neurodivergent individuals.
To be neurodivergent means that a person’s brain works differently from what society considers “typical.” This includes autism, ADHD, and other cognitive differences. It is not a deficit—it is a difference in processing, communicating, and experiencing the world.
Psalm 139:14 declares, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” This truth speaks directly to the beauty of divergent minds. Those who experience the world differently are not flawed—they are featured. Not defective, but distinct. Uniquely wired with perspectives, sensitivities, and strengths that enrich the body as a whole. Their presence challenges us to expand our compassion, deepen our patience, and reimagine what acceptance truly looks like.
The call today is not just awareness, but acceptance—not erasure, but embrace. The church must move beyond silence into understanding, and creating spaces where neurodivergent individuals are supported, included, and accepted. Because if the church has always been where we belong, then that belonging must fully include every mind, every difference, and every expression of God’s creation.
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National Stress Management Month is observed every April to raise awareness about the causes and remedies for the modern stress epidemic we’re experiencing. It is a time for open conversations on the impact of stress and managing it as an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. The observance encourages individuals and communities to address stress, seek support, and learn effective coping strategies. Activities and resources are available to help manage stress, including yoga, exercise, time outdoors, music, meditation, and social connections.
While we may experience stress and anxiety differently, there are proven strategies for coping with the type of stress you may be feeling. We suggest you use the Five Cs for healthy coping strategies for stress:
1. Connected – Stay connected. Connecting with family and friends is one of our most basic ways of coping with stress, anxiety and sadness.
2. Control – Focus on what you can control. This strategy works because it turns our attention away from uncertainty.
3. Calm – Engage in activities that make you feel calm. These types of activities calm our nerves and body, which is carrying the effects of
uncertainty.
4. Cut down on the news. While it’s important that we stay informed, many of us are binging on the news, which can increase our worry without helping us figure out what to do.
5. Caring – Give and receive kindness. Being caring and kind to others makes a difference. Acts of kindness help us feel better about ourselves and decrease our anxiety and sadness. And when we do something kind for someone there is a ripple effect — that person is more likely to show help to others.
Source: UCLA Stand Program (Screening and Treatment for Anxiety and Depression)
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As a congregation called to love our neighbors and seek justice, we recognize April as a season of awareness and action. Two important national observances this month invite us to reflect on health disparities that affect our community — and to ask what our faith compels us to do about them.
National Minority Health Month
National Minority Health Month (NMHM) 2026 is observed in April to raise awareness of health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority populations and to promote health equity across the United States. NMHM was founded in 1998 by the National Minority Quality Forum and officially recognized by the U.S. Congress in 2002 as a national public health observance.
The initiative builds on decades of minority health advocacy, including early efforts by leaders like Booker T. Washington and the landmark 1985 Heckler Report — a federal study that documented racial and ethnic health disparities and issued a national call to action that still echoes today.
Black Maternal Health Week — April 11–17
One area where inequities are especially urgent is Black maternal health. Black women in the United States are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women — a disparity that persists regardless of income or education level. This is not inevitable. It is a justice issue.
Black women are 2–3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in the U.S., according to the CDC — a disparity that holds across income and education levels.
Black Maternal Health Week (#BMHW26), observed every April 11–17, is a week-long campaign founded and led by BMMA, Inc. (Black Mamas Matter Alliance) to build awareness, foster activism, and amplify the voices and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. This year's theme — "Rooted in Justice & Joy" — marks the 10-year anniversary of the movement, celebrating the strength and resilience of Black-led perinatal, maternal, and reproductive health organizations that have cultivated change and healing across communities.
The week begins on April 11th to align with International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, joining dozens of global organizations in calling for the elimination of maternal mortality worldwide. The conversations and activities throughout the week center the values of birth justice and reproductive justice movements — acknowledging the enduring legacies of systemic harm while calling for a future rooted in restoration, justice, and joy.
How you can respond this April
- Pray — for Black mothers, birthing families, and the advocates working for their care
- Learn — visit blackmamasmatter.org to explore resources and this year's events
- Share — use #BMHW26 to amplify awareness on social media this week
- Give — consider supporting a local maternal health organization or doula fund in our community
- Show up — watch for upcoming events from our Health & Wellness Ministry this month
